sounding — English Dictionary

Noun

1. The action of the verb to sound.

   Examples

   And thus did the trumpets sound one-and-twenty blasts every day; […] three soundings at the three pausings of the music, […]

   In the course of his soundings, Sir Herbert Walker had heard favourable reports of O.V.S. Bulleid, currently Principal Assistant to Gresley on the LNER.

Adjective

1. Emitting a sound.

   Usage

   • not-comparable

   Examples

   The sounding bell woke me up.

2. Sonorous.

   Usage

   • not-comparable

   Examples

   sounding words

   In her tomb by the sounding sea.

Noun

1. A test made with a probe or sonde.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   Soundings showed wide variations in depths of water, and from the dredgings of the bottom came new types of sediment […]

   Morning sounding at Chatham showed dry adiabatic lapse rate all the way to 700 mb this morning […]

2. A measured depth of water.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   The sailor took a sounding every five minutes

3. Any place or part of the ocean, or other water, where a sounding line will reach the bottom.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • in-plural
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   We'll rant and we'll roar across the salt seas; Until we strike soundings in the Channel of old England

4. The sand, shells, etc. brought up by the sounding lead when it has touched bottom.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

5. The act of inserting of a thin metal rod into the urethra of the penis for medical or sexual purposes.(See urethral sounding).

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

Adjective

1. appearing to be as specified; usually used as combining forms

   Synonyms

   looking

   Examples

   left their clothes dirty looking

   a most disagreeable looking character

   More examples (5)

   angry-looking

   liquid-looking

   severe-looking policemen on noble horses

   fine-sounding phrases

   taken in by high-sounding talk

2. having volume or deepness

   Examples

   sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal

3. making or having a sound as specified; used as a combining form

   Examples

   harsh-sounding

Noun

1. a measure of the depth of water taken with a sounding line

   Broader terms

   depthdeepness

2. the act of measuring depth of water (usually with a sounding line)

   Broader terms

   measurementmeasuringmeasuremensuration